Philippe Briand onboard 55m Shinkai during first sea trials

Shinkai, the 55m Vitruvius Yachts designed explorer, is nearing her delivery date at Feadship’s Aalsmeer shipyard, having just completed sea trials in the North Sea’s waters off The Netherlands.

As the creative force behind Shinkai’s powerful yet elegant design, Vitruvius Yachts’ Philippe Briand was onboard to experience her performance. Here, the designer and naval architect shares his thoughts on how she measured up to expectations during the critical sea trials assessment:

“The cold, grey November weather presenting itself to us on the day of Shinkai’s sea trials could not have been better to test her unique blend of rugged explorer meets comfortable superyacht. When you first step onboard, you are greeted by the ‘tech beauty’ of her striking red submersible and its accompanying immense ‘goldorak’ style crane; and then your attention is drawn to the glossy silver superyacht before you. A true rarity, she presents an inspiring combination of styles and capabilities.

“While traveling to the sea trials location in the North Sea, we heard hardly any noise from Shinkai’s engines, with only 37dB measured in the cabins. Then Roderick de Vries and Feadship’s team began the real testing process, pushing her hard: her rudder went to eight degrees and then 35 degrees at full speed, with the yacht leaning smoothly and heeling steadily before returning to an upright position surprisingly fast. The 20-tonne gyroscope was evidently working perfectly well. 

“Shinkai’s full-height reinforced windows delivering an astonishing 270-degree view. Experiencing her excellent performance first hand, after four years of involvement in her creation from the very beginning, I confirmed to her owner by phone that she will be the perfect protective and comfortable cocoon from which to explore all the world’s oceans. And of course, Shinkai’s design efficiency and Feadship de Vries’ technology will help protect the planet’s oceans, too!”